thapsus

Thapsus is an ancient Punic–Roman site on the southeastern coast of present-day Tunisia. It is associated with a coastal settlement and harbor that served as a trading post during Carthaginian and later Roman periods. The nearby Gulf of Gabès is connected with the site's geography in classical geography.

The name Thapsus is attested in Latin sources; the original Punic form is uncertain, and the exact origin of the name remains debated among scholars.

Thapsus is best known in the classical world for the Battle of Thapsus in 46 BCE, fought during Julius Caesar's civil war. Caesar defeated the Republican forces under Metellus Scipio and other leaders; the battle contributed to Caesar's eventual consolidation of power in the Roman Republic. In the aftermath, Cato the Younger died in Utica, and the Republican resistance collapsed. The site declined in Late Antiquity.

Today the site lies within the Gabès Governorate of Tunisia. It is primarily of interest to historians and archaeologists as a source of information about Punic and early Roman settlement in North Africa. Some remains described in antiquarian sources include fortifications and temple foundations, though extensive remains are limited; the area remains sparsely populated and rural.